A lot of attention was paid to the relative ease exhibited today in the Obama-Netanyahu relationship.
We saw it at the press conference, but also on the tarmac, where Obama teased Netanyahu about "red lines" — an aide to Netanyahu asks Obama to "follow the red lines," and Obama jokes, "Bibi is always talking about red lines." Bibi answers "It was minutely planned."
There were signs, though, that Obama was more at ease. He prefers to walk instead of get into a car for a short on-the-tarmac ride; Netanyahu seems nonplussed. Obama removes his jacket. Netanyahu then hitches up his pants (makes sure his shirt is tucked in?) — and removes his jacket.
There’s banter on the receiving line. (Incidentally, why does Amir Peretz rush up to interrupt Netanyahu and Obama, when he already did the handshake thing on the receiving line?)
Via BibiReport:
Other notes: Obama, greeting his embassador, Dan Shapiro, calls him "brother" and embraces him, as opposed to the slightly stiff embrace he gives Netanyahu — and that, as opposed to the charming arm-in-arm action a photographer caught between Obama and Peres.
During the press conference, Obama kept referring to Netanyahu as "Bibi," while Netanyahu preferred "president." There was some also some mutual tweaking about how each others’ kids were kucky to inherit their moms’ looks. "Our goal is to improve our gene pool by marrying women who are better than we are," Obama concludes.
During the Q and A, NBC’s Chuck Todd gets ribbed by Netanayhu and Obama for trying to get in too many questions; Todd notes Passover is about to start — he gets four questions. Obama calls Todd "incorrigible" — does that make him the wicked child?
Over at CNN, Jake Tapper, inaugurating his new spot on the network, asks John Boehner if he was unhappy that Obama told Netanyahu it was "good to get away from Congress."
Boehner clearly is not — and handles the needling with aplomb.
Finally, we noted last night that Obama traveled to Israel with Reps. Eliot Engel D-N.Y.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). According to Politico, he asked along the congressional leadership, including Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the House majority leader (and the most senior Jewish official in U.S. history.) They declined — there’s this little thing called the sequester they had to work through.
Engel and DWS, though, are having a ball at the Wall:
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